FCPS Classes Begin Aug. 28; What You Need to Know

Wow, summer went really fast! Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) begin classes on Monday, Aug. 28, a week earlier than past years.

We have more than 189,000 students attending FCPS, which makes us the 10th-largest school division in the U.S. Back to school impacts most of us, even if you don’t have a student in school (public or private school!) – here are five things to know.

1. Bus and Pedestrian Safety

More than 1,700 buses, as well as young drivers and student pedestrians, will be out and about in our neighborhoods and roads. Please consider adding extra time for your commute, especially as everyone adjusts to school being back in session.

To help you plan your commute, here are the start and end times for our schools:

Elementary schools’ schedules vary. They start from 8:10 to 9:20 a.m. and end from 2:55 to 4:05 p.m.

The rules are pretty simple if you encounter a school bus with flashing red lights. Drivers must stop in both directions, unless separated from the bus by a median. In 2016, there were 154 citations for passing stopped school buses, according to the Police Department.

Here are the four simple rules:

Pedestrian safety tips to keep in mind:

Be alert. Children are unpredictable. Children walking or biking may show up suddenly and quickly; pay attention at all times.

Drivers should not block crosswalks. Allow pedestrians plenty of space to walk safely.

Pay attention to school zones, especially where they start and end. Those slower school zone speed limits are there for a reason. Follow the speed limit when the lights are flashing.

There is a countywide special election for an at-large seat on the School Board on Tuesday, Aug. 29, which is the second day of classes. More than 160 of the county’s 243 voting precincts are in our schools. Voters are encouraged to vote before or after school hours if possible and to postpone voting during the times when school buses are dropping off or picking up students.

In addition, volunteers from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and Robinson Secondary School are offering free tutoring in math, reading, writing, science, social studies and ESL. This program, called GIVE – Growth and Inspiration through Volunteering and Education – is provided on select Saturdays.